The invention relates to an apparatus for conducting gobs of molten glass to a mold of an I.S. glassware forming machine.
In one known apparatus of this type (WO 92/20631 A1 of the applicants) a trough is arranged between each slide member and the associated deflector. Each trough is supported at its upper end by means of a universal joint from a holder which is fixed to the machine. The lower end of each trough is guided in a vertical chute of the deflector and can be raised and lowered by an adjusting device in order to adapt it to the particular gob shape, whereby the angle of the trough changes on the one hand in relation to its slide member and on the other hand in relation to its deflector.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,049A, it is known to make up a delivery system from a pivotable scoop together with conventional troughs which are stationary in use and deflectors. Each deflector is adjustable exclusively in a horizontal plane relative to the associated mold (column 1, lines 60 to 63; column 3, lines 54 to 57). Each trough is only supported fixedly on the machine at its upper end, while its lower end and the whole of the associated deflector are carried by a common holder. The holder is suspended from a machine-fixed carrier by means of a universal joint, so as to be movable within limits, in order to facilitate the adjustment of the deflector about two mutually perpendicular, horizontal axes and about a vertical axis.
From U.S. Pat. No. 1,670,770A, delivery systems are known which each comprise a scoop and an adjustably mounted trough and deflector (page 1, lines 82 and 83). Details of how the adjustment is made are not given.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,602A, a gob delivery system is known comprising a scoop, a trough and a deflector. The trough is pivotally connected to the machine frame at the top by means of a pin. The lower end of the trough rests on a carriage which is adjustable in height by means of a setting screw. The carriage is displaceable horizontally on the machine frame by means of a setting screw. A spindle of the carriage extends substantially parallel to the trough and carries the deflector which is adjustable along the spindle.
The gob delivery system consisting of scoop, trough and deflector which is known from U.S. Pat. No. 1,755,397 corresponds to the delivery system which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,670,770A (page 2, lines 25 to 30).
Comparatively short troughs can be necessary, particularly for the middle sections of larger I.S. glassware forming machines. In the case of such comparatively short troughs whose lower ends must be raised or lowered in order to adapt to different gob diameters, this leads to the aforesaid changes in angle of the trough, on the one hand in relation to its slide member and on the other hand in relation to its deflector. Because of the shortness of the troughs, this leads to particularly large angular changes and correspondingly disruptive kinks in the path of movement of the gobs. This has a correspondingly negative effect on the gobs themselves. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to completely avoid the need for comparatively short troughs.